Slightly Misplaced Comic Book Heroes Case File #45: Faith

I think she got the power of heart to form Captain Planet.

A common theme to many a Misplaced Hero is that many times there’s only a single creator who’s really enamored with the character.  Oh, other writers and artists may have a decent run with the character, but often once the original creator moves on, the character is quickly relegated to the background or written out of the book entirely.  That is more or less what happened to Snapper Carr.  Creators showing favorites is nothing new, such as how Geoff Johns dealt with Black Adam, or Brian Michael Bendis’ clear love for Luke Cage.  But sometimes the creator love goes to a new character that doesn’t always stick around long.

One such example there is Faith.

J’onn J’onzz, Redheaded Stepchild Of The Justice League

As first appearances go, this may be one the most long-lasting weird looks in comics.

Justice League fans of a certain age (namely mine) often believe that J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter, is the heart and soul of the Justice League.  A hero who’s been involved in every incarnation of the League, J’onn is the wise father-figure, the mentor, the strategist, and the backbone that holds the Justice League together.

Sadly, it’s not quite true.  While he was one of the original founders of the team, he was also the first to leave the team to do other things for a while.  Whether it was due to redundant powers next to Superman or just the fact that he’s generally been one of the few major Leaguers to not hold down a solo series for very long, J’onn has been removed from the League more than once, and may be just shy of iconic for many fans were it not for his appearance as one of the founders on the Bruce Timm-produced Justice League animated series.